Trey Bone Performs at Live Oak

Photo by CT

Well, here we are again. Three members of Trey Bone and Beccano played at Live Oak yesterday morning. We provided supporting music for the first sermon Aaron White delivered in his new role as sabbatical minister. He is filling in while our main minister is on sabbatical (until December). I will be glad for Chuck’s return, but I am not looking forward to losing Aaron. He is the most interesting speaker we have at Live Oak.

Beccano made his performing debut using my 1972 Jazz Bass. He did a really fine job and shows here that he has mastered the attitude.

Photo by CT

Yesterday’s sermon was about looking more for the things that unite us than those that divide us—especially in this time when the politics of division seem to be ruling all of our lives and ruining our nation. To support that theme Suna picked three songs that we can add to the band’s repertoire:

• “Rocky Mountain High” (John Denver and Mike Taylor)
• “Warrior for Peace” (Suna)
• “One Tin Soldier” (Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter)

“Rocky Mountain High” is about finding inner peace and harmony with nature. We performed it as the prelude to an almost empty house. But those who were there applauded loudly, and it inspired our poet in residence to read a poem he wrote about the death of John Denver when Joys and Concerns rolled around.

While Suna and Bill carried the vocals, I played “lead accoustic guitar,” which consisted mainly of finger-picking the chords and improvising melody on “Warrior.”

Photo by CT

Suna wrote “Warrior for Peace” for this sermon. We played it while the ushers passed the plate. The house was packed at this time because the kids and their teachers had not yet split off for religious education. Everyone applauded loudly.

We did “One Tin Soldier” as the postlude, primarily because it is a song about endings. And Suna didn’t want to do it while the kids were in the room because the good guys lose in this story. Again, the crowd applauded loudly.

Afterward, we got lots of compliments on all three songs. The applause and the compliments mean a lot to me because Live Oak is such a musical community. I mused with one of the parishioners whose tastes rung to big band music about that. He asked me how large an orchestra we could put together if we had everyone who played an instrument on stage. I said I thought that there would be more people on stage than in the audience.

So once again I am grateful for music. Oh yeah, and the new contract.

Shameless Plug:

Come see us Tuesday night at B.B. Rover’s. We will start playing our hour set at about 8:00PM.